recipes, travel and food journal

How to make Pesto like a Ligurian

by ambrosiana on July 25, 2012

I used to make pesto with my food processor. I just had to blend all ingredients and there you have – a quick and easy sauce. Little did I know that using a mortar and pestle would change the taste of this ancient recipe. Indeed, pesto dates back to the mid 800’s and – of course – Ligurian cooks did not have any electrical appliances back then.

Even though a lot of people find this culinary tool impractical – and somewhat underused, there are numerous creative and tasty recipes you can come up with:

You can prepare the best guacamole you have ever tasted;

You can make salsa;

You can make your own Garam Masala;

You can make salad dressings;

You can prepare wonderful curries;

You can crush spices like peppercorns; and

You can prepare PESTO!

Pesto comes from the Italian verb “pestare”, which means to crush / to grind; so when making pesto, the use of a marble mortar and a wooden pestle is essential to get good results. The process of grinding using downward pressure and a circular motion is the best way to release natural oils in herbs, as well as to extract all the aromas and flavors from nuts and spices.

In Italy there are different kinds of pesto (pesto alla Siciliana , pesto alla Trapanese, etc.),but the most popular pesto is Pesto alla Genovese (the recipe comes from Genova, the capital city of the Liguria Region).

Since there are many versions of this sauce, I browsed through the sites of the Italian region of Liguria, and I came across the official site of the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese, an association engaged in the protection of the traditional pesto recipe. Therefore, after finding the best source I could ever hope for, I wanted to share with you the secrets of making Pesto as Ligurians do.

Sticking to the traditional version is time consuming and it takes patience, but if you have a passion for food, making pesto the old way won’t be an unpleasant task!!!

Pesto alla Genovese

Ingredients for 600 grams of pasta

50 gr basil (about 60 basil leaves)

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano

2 tablespoons Pecorino cheese (romano, toscano, sardo or siciliano)

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon pine nuts

Some coarse salt

Utensils: a marble mortar and a wooden pestle (but I am using a marble pestle)

Method

Wash basil leaves in cold water and pat dry. The smaller and younger the leaves, the more aromatic the pesto will be. Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle crush 2 garlic cloves. The rule is to crush 1 garlic clove per 30 basil leaves.

Add little by little the basil leaves crushing them using a light and steady circular motion while adding some coarse salt (be careful when adding salt since cheese is already salty!).

When basil leaves produce a bright green liquid, add pine nuts. Pine nuts have essential oils that will soften and will amalgamate the sauce.

Add cheese

Add extra virgin olive oil little by little and blend.

A suggestion: use pesto as soon as it is done for a better and fresher taste. If you want to conserve it (and since pesto is prepared “ a freddo”, which means at room temperature), the best way is to omit oil and keep it as a paste and freeze it. When ready to prepare pesto, unfreeze the quantity of paste you want to use and blend it with oil before serving.

I’m delighted to have read this post. I’m so lazy with my pestle and mortar, so this has made me determined to make more use of it, particularly with basil being so readily available at the moment. The main picture looks glorious and you’ve done a great job with the step by step pictures.

I did have a pestle and mortar until about a week ago when I had one of my days when everything I touched crashed to the floor, hit the tiles and broke 😦 I agree, it does make a huge difference to the taste and yours looks so beautiful!

This is perfectly times as my garden basil is finally coming into its own. And i love to be able to make good food without machines, this is glorious and thank you for the freezing tip. A taste of fresh pesto in the winter is a life saver! c

Firstly your photos are fabulous! Secondly your timing couldn’t be better – I have to pick the basil leaves before they get too big or go to flower! and you know I’ll fess up here and now and admit I’ve always used the food processor, I’ll have to try it with our pestle and mortar. Thank you!!

A friend of mine always tells me I need to get a marble mortar just to make pesto. She says it is far different than anything that comes out of a food processor. I have yet to find one but when I do I can’t wait to give this a go

I’ve just returned from a visit with my Zia and am trying to catch up with all of the posts I missed. This one is perfection! I must confess that I put my mortar and pestle away and use my processor when making pesto. You’re right, though, it is worth the extra effort to make pesto the “old” way. It’s time I find that mortar and pestle.
Of course, I had to show Zia your baby’s picture. “How beautiful!” 🙂

you specifically say to use marble and wood pestle and mortar, ive seen this before for pesto for the reason that it creates a lighter pesto than using a granite one. have you noticed a difference in the pesto when using either granite or wood pestle and mortars ?

Hi! This is a good question! I have never made pesto with a granite mortar and pestle since I bought my first mortar and pestle -both made with marble. I guess the difference is consistency do to the fact that marble is a smoother material than granite. If you think about it, it makes sense. That is why the “optimal” way to make pesto is to use a wooden pestle that is not only porous but its smoother than marble. I guess that the pressing of wood against marble is gentler (than marble against marble) resuling indeed in a creamier sauce, with greater aromas and brigther colors. Thanks for stopping by!

A Ligurian secret I learned in Camogli – if you splash a little pasta water into the pesto towards the end of the process, it emulsifies and gets lighter (even fluffier) and creamier. The salty. delicious pasta water rounds out the flavor.

A Ligurian secret I learned in Camogli – if you splash a little pasta water into the pesto towards the end of the process, it emulsifies and gets lighter (even fluffier) and creamier. The salty. delicious pasta water rounds out the flavor.

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About

I am a food lover blogging from the eternal city of Rome. Ambrosia in Roman and Greek Mythology was the food of the gods. Therefore, this is a site about tales of real, fresh, and delicious food available to all of us human beings. In this blog, my aim is also to share pictures while travelling in Italy and abroad.